Why Does My Ankle Hurt
Figuring out why your ankle is throbbing can be a guessing game.
Was it from rolling your ankle in the backyard yesterday? Or could it be tendonitis from the extra miles you ran this week?
Maybe its from gout, a type of arthritis sometimes known as the disease of kings because only the monarchs of yesteryear could afford the food and drinks that are known to exacerbate its symptoms.
Gout cases have been on the rise in recent years due to the increasing obesity rate, although anyone can get gout. Just as the royaltys diet was to blame for many gout symptoms recorded in history, our modern diets are one reason the disease is on the rise.
Some experts believe this is controversial saying that diet has very little to do with gout today unless it is extreme, like eating liver or shellfish every day.
And while historically gout was associated with the big toe, the condition is becoming more common in other placesjoints like the hands, foot, or ankle.
Diagnosing ankle symptoms isnt always easy. Even some doctors mistake ankle pain for something other than gout.
Patients are often misdiagnosed with sprains, cellulitis, and other disorders when gout is unrecognized due to both severe pain and appearance, explains Victoria Seligman, MD, a rheumatologist with UCHealth Rheumatology Clinic Cherry Creek in Denver.
Heres how to know when your ankle symptoms are due to gout and how to treat them.
Can I Do Anything At Home To Relieve Gout Pain
Besides seeing your podiatrist, there are things you can do to ease the pain and swelling caused by gout. Raise and rest the affected limb, and use a splint to immobilize the joint. Also, do not exercise vigorously. Try keeping the joint cool by applying an ice pack wrapped in a towel. Remember, dont apply cold items directly onto the skin. Lastly, do not cover the joint.
What Are The Symptoms Of Gout
An episode of gout is called a gout attack. Gout attacks are very painful and can happen quite suddenly, often overnight. During a gout attack, symptoms in the affected joint may include:
- Intense pain.
- Tenderness, even to light touch, such as from a bedsheet.
- Warmth, or a feeling like the joint is on fire.
- How long does a gout attack last?
A gout attack can last a week or two. Between gout attacks, you may have no symptoms at all.
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Signs And Symptoms Of Gout
Any joint can be affected by gout, but it usually affects joints towards the ends of the limbs, such as the toes, ankles, knees and fingers.
Signs and symptoms of gout include:
- severe pain in one or more joints
- the joint feeling hot and very tender
- swelling in and around the affected joint
- red, shiny skin over the affected joint
Symptoms develop rapidly over a few hours and typically last three to 10 days. After this time the pain should pass and the joint should return to normal.
Almost everyone with gout will experience further attacks at some point, usually within a year.
Read more about the complications of gout.
Swollen Feet And Ankles
Reviewed By: FPE Medical Review Board
Swollen feet and ankles are a common problem that will affect most of us at some point in our lives.
Most of the time, foot swelling is not serious and will resolve quickly, but sometimes it can be a sign of a serious health problem that requires medical attention.
Here, we will look at the ten most common causes of swollen feet and ankles, the different types of swelling, how to tell if foot swelling is serious and then go on to look at the best swollen foot treatment options.
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Now Its Your Turn To Understand What To Do For Swollen Feet From Gout
Theres now a large number of us who no more undergo gout because we tackled it at its reason. Of just simply tinkering with the symptoms Alternatively.
Im one of them.
Remember, I acquired gout for exactly the same factors you own it today.
An unsafe gut microbiome meant that bacteria which should have been taking away one third of my bodys uric acid easily wasnt.
That bacteria acquired diminished to the stage that my kidneys have been trying to deal with the acid independently.
And they couldnt cope.
Nor can yours.
It wasnt i was suddenly producing too much uric acid. Its that my gut seemed to be no longer in a position to assist my kidneys take it off from my own body.
Along with the change from gout to no gout nearly experienced like magic.
You can possibly imagine it yourself.. what it would be like to simply never have any gout ever again.
Take my word for it, its wonderful!
No flare-ups, no pain, no being laid-up in bed for days waiting for the pain to subside.
No thinking about if some future event will be messed up because Im laid up in agony with another assault.
In the same way pleasing is the fact Ive likewise significantly reduced my risks of struggling diabetes, kidney failure, heart disease and some cancers.
Shellys program lays it all out for us. No special knowledge is required. I found it easy.
How Long Gout Pain Lasts
Characteristically, gout pain comes on rapidly and the joint becomes red and swollen, with the swelling reaching a peak within the first 24 hours of the attack, Dr. FitzGerald explains.
At first, gout usually affects just one joint, but can affect more than one joint, sometimes adjacent joints. Flares typically resolve on their own over the next seven to 14 days. Treating a gout flare with medications can help it resolve faster. Medications for gout flares typically include:
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs , such as ibuprofen or naproxen
- Colchicine
- Glucocorticoids
A gout attack may occur only one or two times a year or even only a few times ever. However, gout can become chronic, leading to frequent attacks and flares that occur at least a few times a year or never completely resolve. Chronic gout can damage and deform joints and can sometimes be mistaken for other inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis.
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Preventing Future Ankle Gout Symptoms
After surviving an arduous bout of gout ankle, keeping the body in a state of greater health by keeping the body chemistry on the more alkaline side is wise. Minimizing the causes of gout can be done in several ways:
- Strong breathing awareness and habits keep the blood healthy and oxygenated
- Maintaining consistent hydration is essential for proper pH balance
- A diet of alkalizing foods, and foods that support strong kidney and liver function is fundamental
- Managing stress is important for minimizing the effects of acid-forming hormones in the inner terrain
- Being aware of, and avoiding toxic environmental chemicals is a good way to retard the slow accumulation of low-level toxicity from seemingly mundane household products
- Consistent exercise and sleep are the basics to health, and obvious and easy measures to employ for guarding against the risk of gout
Remember! When symptoms of gout in the ankle start to become apparent, it is critical to take fast action.
Different Types Of Swelling
There are two types of swelling, pitting edema and non-pitting edema which present differently:
Pitting OedemaWith pitting oedema, if you press on the swollen area for a few seconds and then take your finger away, an indentation will be left that lasts for a while.
A mild example of this is if you wear socks all day, when you take them off at the end of the day, there will be an indentation.
Pitting edema usually results from water retention and is associated with things such as heart failure, pregnancy and systemic diseases.
Non-Pitting EdemaWith non-pitting oedema, no indentation is left when you press on the area. The most common cause of non-pitting edema is lymphedema.
Pitting edema is the most common type of foot swelling, but if there is only a small amount of swelling, there wont be any noticeable pitting.
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What Causes Ankle Gout
Gout occurs due to the accumulation of urate crystals in the joint, causing inflammation and intense pain. These crystals can form when you have high uric acid in the blood . Your body innately produces uric acid when it breaks down purines-substances that are found naturally in the body, as well as in certain foods, such as steak, organ meats, and seafood. Other foods that promote higher levels of uric acid include alcoholic beverages and drinks sweetened with fructose .
In a normal individual without gout, uric acid dissolves in the blood and passes through the kidneys to be expelled in the urine. But sometimes, the body produces too much uric acid, or the kidneys excrete too little of it. When this happens, uric acid can build up, forming sharp, needle-like urate crystals that become deposited in a joint or surrounding tissue causing pain, inflammation, and swelling.
Uric acid crystals tend to form in cooler temperatures, which is why they tend to form in the distal extremities, such as the hands and feet, which have a higher likelihood of becoming colder than the rest of the body.
Possible medical and health triggers of gout include:
- Infection
- Intense pain
- Possible fever
Symptoms tend to recur anywhere from six months to two years after the initial episode, with approximately 60 percent of gout patients having a recurrence within one year.
How Is Gout Managed
Heres the truth: there is no cure for gout, although there are many ways to treat it and prevent flare-ups.
Oddly enough, some people only have a gout flare-up once, while others have flare-ups more often.
So how might you avoid future flare-ups? It makes sense to avoid high-purine foods, but eating a purine-free diet is pretty hard to do.
And though elevated uric acids are a precursor to a gout attack, having high levels doesnt mean youll automatically have an attack. Still, eating and drinking excessive amounts of high-purine foods isnt good for anyone.
Following a healthy and safe diet may help reduce symptoms.
As gout is also felt to have a relationship to metabolic disease in general, weight loss helps with disease prevention as well, says Dr. Seligman.
A doctor may recommend prescription medications, such as colchicine. But colchicine can have unpleasant side effects, Dr. Seligman says, so lower doses may be advised when managing out.
Allopurinol are medicines that block the production of uric acid might be used in conjunction with colchicine.
In addition to medication, you might want to try some of these natural remedies for gout. There are also essential oils for gout that may bring relief.
Though there usually isnt much warning a gout attack is on the way, there are steps you can take right away, which will make sure the treatment is most effective.
Next up, how to tell the difference between gout vs. bunion.
7 Gout Symptoms to Know
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Causes Of Gout In Ankle
As said before, gouty arthritis is a condition that occurs in the human body due to the accumulation of a substance called uric acid in the bloodstream.
This abnormal accumulation of uric acid in the bloodstream happens due to excess workload on the liver and kidneys.
When this happens it leads to the deposition of uric acid crystals all over the body mainly over the joints.
Initially the uric acid deposits as a solution. But on long-standing, the uric acid solution becomes uric acid crystals.
Slowly it starts pressuring the nearby parts of the joints like tendons, cartilage, muscles, nerves, and blood vessels.
This ultimately leads to damage of the joint tissues and thus creates unwanted and unbearable pain along with swelling.
Gout may happen in all the joints of the body but primarily it affects the base of the big toe and the ankle joints.
The ankle joint is the principal joint for balancing the whole body.
And as gout occurs initially in the ankle joints it creates much trouble for the person in performing the day-to-day daily tasks.
Gout In Ankle Treatment And Best Home Remedies
As the primary cause for gout in the ankle is the accumulation of uric acid crystals, the measure which helps to reduce the formation of uric acid crystals in the joints can only help in getting rid of ankle gout pain permanently and fast.
An important chemical that helps in reducing or controlling the uric acid levels in the blood is bromelain.
Bromelain supplements are therefore recommended by doctors for treating gout in the ankle and foot.
The chemical bromelain is also highly available in pineapple.
Hence consuming pineapple daily acts as one of the best home remedies for gout in the ankle.
This will gradually help in reducing the uric acid levels in the blood and thus leads to reducing the swelling and pain in the affected joints.
Fruits such as bananas are rich in fiber and contain low purines.
It also contains high levels of potassium that helps in converting uric acid crystals into liquid form .
Adding 1-2 bananas to your daily diet can, therefore, help a lot in managing the gout condition effectively at home naturally.
Apple cider vinegar for gout is also many times recommend by medical experts.
ACV benefits are unlimited and it can actually help manage lots of other health conditions .
You can, therefore, take this on a regular basis daily to cure your pain and inflammation.
Few other natural home remedies and ingredients that can provide immediate gout pain relief are:
- Ginger root
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What To Do If You Think You Have Pain Due To Gout
The good news is that there are effective medications to treat gout, Dr. FitzGerald says. In some mild cases, gout can be self-managed with lifestyle changes, such as weight loss if needed and eating fewer high-purine foods .
However, many people with gout should be on a preventive medication to lower uric acid levels and stop flares from occurring. According to the 2020 gout treatment guidelines from the American College of Rheumatology, uric acid-lowering medication is recommended for people who:
- Have two or more gout flares a year
- Have gout tophi
- Have evidence on X-rays of joint damage due to gout
The guidelines, of which Dr. FitzGerald is a coauthor, recommend a treat-to-target strategy, which means treating gout with medication until a target uric acid level is reached.
Unfortunately, gaps in quality care for gout continue to persist and many patients do not take uric acid-lowering medication, which can leave people suffering the intense and persistent pain of gout without relief. This is why it is important to seek medical care if you experience pain that you think could be gout, Dr. FitzGerald stresses.
Gout can be diagnosed several ways, including:
- Removing fluid from the joint to identify urate crystals.
- Using ultrasound to identify several common characteristics of gout, such as collections of crystals in or around joints.
- Using dual-energy CT to detect urate crystal deposits in cases that are more advanced.
Whats The Outlook For People With Gout
Untreated gout can lead to permanent joint damage. The buildup of uric acid in the joints and soft tissue is called tophus. Some people with gout can also develop other health problems, such as severe arthritis, kidney stones and heart disease. Its important to discuss your symptoms with a healthcare provider.
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Gout In Ankle: Causes Symptoms Treatment And Prevention
Written byEmily LunardoPublished onNovember 10, 2017
Gout in the ankle or ankle gout is an inflammatory condition of the joint leading to swelling, pain, and redness of the ankle. Gout is a complex form of arthritis that can affect anyone, with over eight million Americans suffering from the condition today. Men are typically affected more, but postmenopausal women become increasingly susceptible in their later years.
The most common joint affected by gout is the big toe, but joint pain may also be experienced in the knees, hands, ankles, and wrists. Having gout in the ankle can be very debilitating as it encumbers your ability to walk normally.
This article will answer the question what causes gout in the ankle, giving you a better understanding of the intricacies of the condition to better treat it.
Related: Is gout in elbow common? Causes, symptoms, and treatment of elbow gout
Treating Swollen Feet And Ankles
Treatment for swollen feet and ankles aims to improve the lymphatic drainage in the legs to reduce the swelling and associated discomfort. There are a number of ways to do this including specially designed compression bandages, massage, diet and lifestyle changes and exercises.
In the Swollen Foot and Ankle Treatment section we look at the best ways to treat the different causes of foot swelling, most of which you can do yourself at home, including:
- Dietary Changes: what to eat and drink
- Rest v Activity: how to get the right balance
- Therapeutic Massage
Find out more about how to treat swollen feet and ankles >
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When Ankle Pain May Mean Arthritis
Many forms of arthritis and related conditions can cause pain, stiffness and swelling in the ankles.
If you are experiencing pain, swelling and stiffness in the ankles, you may have one of the following types of arthritis or related conditions.
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis. Also known as wear and tear arthritis, OA is a chronic condition caused by the breakdown of the cartilage, which cushions the ends of the bones where they meet to form joints. This breakdown causes the bones to rub together, causing stiffness, pain and loss of joint movement. In ankle OA, its common to have joint pain where the ankle and shinbone meet.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease that occurs when the bodys immune system which normally protects us from infection mistakenly attacks joints. The result can be pain, swelling, inflammation and loss of function. In about 90 percent of people with rheumatoid arthritis, the joints of the feet and ankles are often affected. RA usually affects the same joint on both sides of the body .
Gout
Reactive Arthritis
Reactive arthritis is a form of arthritis that often occurs following an infection of the genital, urinary or gastrointestinal system. The knees, ankles and joints of the feet are often the first to be affected. Reactive arthritis can also cause inflammation of the Achilles tendon at the back of the ankle.
Lupus
Psoriatic Arthritis
Juvenile Arthritis
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